Metropolis
by Sayonara Solitaire
Summary: AU. It's a mall world after all. SASUSAKU. SHIKAINOTEM.
1. one

(**o**)(**n**)(**e**)

_One **step** at a time.  
There's no need to **rush.**  
It's like **learning** to fly,_

Or _falling_ in **love**.

**W  
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**STANDARD DISCLAIMER APPLIED.  
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"I am a goose. I know it's unbelievable, what with my puke colored green eyes, the mop of obnoxious, eye-blinding pink hair and the wingless godzilla-like features. But it's true, I am a goose."

All the youth surrounding her on the table gaped. Blank eyes blinked slowly, trying to digest what the pink-haired beauty had just announced.

"Is…is that some sort pickup line for girls?" The boy sitting beside her asked, an arm draped over her seat. "Because that's funny. Haha…" He laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head.

"I never really knew my dad." She rambled on coolly.

"One time he paid me a dollar to kiss him on the cheek. I said, "Daddy. Am I a prostitute?" his reply, "How insensitive of me, Sakura. Here's a 20." We stopped talking ever since." She smiled nostalgically.

"And then there's my mother who grew up as a hippie and sold dope to the Sesame Street gang, got a tattoo of Donald Duck and lived happily ever after!"

The pretty face sitting beside her wearing long, blonde locks and clear, glimmering azure eyes smacked herself on the forehead.

"And then there's my long, lost brother who got separated from birth. He came back and screamed, "I AM SAILOR MOON! I STAND FOR LOVE AND I ALSO STAND FOR JUSTICE. AND IN THE NAME OF THE MOON, I WILL PUNISH YOU!" then disappeared again."

The group of boys and girls gave each other nervous glances before forced laughters emitted from their lips. The sound ceased when the goose abruptly stood up.

"I'm serious." She deadpanned before grabbing her Gucci bag and made her way out the cafe.

"Sakura! Wait!" The blonde called after.

"I have work." The strutting girl in heels lied nonchalantly without looking back. She was out the door before anyone could stop her.

_Click. _

_Click. _

_Clack. _

_Click._

Sakura always adored the sound high heels made when they're walking down the runway—or marble floor, close enough.

She made her way through the mall, passing stores and the feverish atmosphere that always basks the place into its rich and classy flare.

She passed by the fabulous and glamorous, all wearing pricey clothing brands and over the top makeup, expensive suits, shiny jewelry and pretty accessories she'll never afford in her lifetime and the next.

This was the life of Konoha City, where money is the root to all happiness.

**x**

**x**

She window-shopped for a while, glancing at the different store displays before annoyance filled her, annoyance with her so-called "best friend".

_(You make me so hot. Make me wanna drop. It's so ridiculous—)_

And she bets anything that that said annoyance was calling her right this moment.

She fidgeted a little, trying to balance herself on her boots with 4-inch stiletto heels. (She never really liked heels in the first place but they looked so _tempting_, they were _practically_ calling to her, "Wear me! Wear me!" They yelled. It's not her fault they were so spiffy.)

_(I can barely stop. You make me wanna scream—)_

She dug through her bag, pushing pass mascara, blush, eyeliners, compact mirrors, lip-gloss, nail filers…she exclaimed happily when she finally found what she was looking for.

_(You're so good to be me baby, ba—)_

She didn't even need to pay heed to the caller id and immediately clicked and held the Blackberry Pearl 8100 to her ear.

"Yes Ino? My good ol' buddy ol' pal who told me to meet her at The Leaf Cafe because she saw her "ex" who she "detests like last season's Prada bag" (but she's really in _denial_ and still has the hots for) hanging out with a certain _Temari_ and needed comforting, hmm? But she was _actually_ setting up her friend on a group blind date even though her best friend told her hundreds—_thousands _of times she's not interested?"

She felt the other girl on the line winced and secretly smiled, satisfied that she's done her guilt job.

"Technically, that story _was_ true. I _did_ saw him with that bitch and she was practically getting all stripper-ish on him! And I _am_ so over him so quit it! But more importantly…at least I'm not the girl with the big forehead!"

Twitch.

Sakura squeezed her cell tightly and heard a distinct crack.

Ino must've heard it too as she hastily apologized. "Ahaha. Sorry! Sorry! I was just—I…Sakura," She murmured. "You know I didn't mean it…"

Sakura sighed. "I know...but _seriously_, no more blind dates please. I'll appreciate it."

She heard an overly exaggerated sigh across the line. "Fine! But I'm _still_ going to give you a lecture. I mean, _seriously_ Sakura. You've never even _dated_ a guy. It's not like you're getting any younger. You're 21 alre—"

"Exactly. I _am_ 21. Still young and pretty, topped with thriving hormones but I like to take a rain check on that, thanks."

"You have no idea what you're talking about, Sakura-darling."

"That would be _you_, Ino-darling."

"Right. You're practically the only girl that still kept her virginity all the way through high school. Hello! Wake up call! It's the 21st century!"

"Oh? And _you_ losing your virginity in a broom closet with Chouji and ended up smelling like potato chips made _you_ Konoha's IT girl?"

"I was _drunk_!"

"Uh huh, after having _one _sip of spiked ginger ale and then spitting it back out because it didn't taste like fruit salad is oh-so-not-sober. You're lightweight."

"Only weighing 110 pounds at the age of 21 takes skills my dear!"

"That's not what I meant—ugh, forget it. You're impossible Ino."

"The feelings mutual."

"I'm surprised you know what mutual means."

"How rude and that's coming from the lonely girl living on the singles boulevard lane."

"That was lame and we live together."

"…W—Well, I found that apartment!" Ino retorted hotly.

"And _I_ pay for the rent ninety percent of the time." Sakura stated dully.

"Working at the mall is not a walk in the park you know!"

"I know, Ino. We work in the _same_ store."

"Huh…funny developments we have here don't we?"

"…"

"But that's not point! The point is, people our age should live a little!"

"I see nothing wrong with focusing on my career. Lots of women did that and they turned out just _fine_."

"Yeah and _lonely_."

"Nuh uh." Sakura protested.

"Uh huh." Ino reciprocated stubbornly.

"That is _so_ stereotypical of you. Besides, why don't _you _admit to Shikamaru that you're still in love with him? You're such a hypocrite! "

"Am not."

"Yes you are."

"Am not! ghngfmh—"

"Did you just stick your tongue out at me through your cell phone?"

"…No."

"Real mature _Ino-pig_."

"Says the _Billboard Brow_. But this isn't exactly one of the most intellectual conversations we've ever had, is it?"

Sakura rubbed her forehead painfully, trying to stop an oncoming migraine.

"But honestly…" Ino scolded. "You didn't have to introduce yourself as a goose born from a Disney-obsessed, pot-smoking mother and a sex-deprived, AIDS patient of a father. Plus, YOU DON'T HAVE A BROTHER!"

"I got caught up in the moment." Sakura shrugged.

"_Right_ and now everyone thinks I'm a nut job too because _I _was the one that brought you along."

"Maybe you shouldn't have brought me along then."

"Ugh! You don't get it do you—wait, oh my god is this about Sasuke?!"

"_What_?! No!"

"I'm _so_ sure."

"I haven't seen him in _years_ Ino. He has nothing to do with this!"

"Suuuuure…"

"Look." Sakura breathed, changing the subject.

"I really appreciate what you're doing for me Ino, and I thank you for that." Sakura's voice softens as she went on.

"I know you're concerned for my well-being and I can't ask for anything more. You're the greatest friend a girl can have but right now…I just—I just want to stay single. There _are_ greater things in life than romance, Ino."

The aforementioned snorted.

"So, please, _please._ I beg you. No more blind dates, setting me up on dating shows, impersonating my identity on LavaLife are all I ask. Because _seriously_, the last one had a 60-year old holding posies ringing on our doorbell and luckily Naruto was there to accidentally push him down the stairs." She mused at the memory.

"But I promise…" Her voice lowered. "I'll find my prince charming someday but just…not right now, okay?" She ended gently.

A muffled sigh and a quiet "Fine."

Sakura cracked a smile at this. "Thanks Ino."

"Hmph. For _now_." And the line went dead.

A vein throbbed painfully at the top of Sakura's forehead.

She removed the cell phone from her ear and glared at it before rubbing her forehead again.

"I need coffee."

**x**

**x**

Luckily the coffee shop was only a floor up so she arrived in no time, landing herself in a dazzling mood because coffee was only a few meters away.

Ah. The Metropolis, _the_ largest mall in all of Japan owned by the Uchiha Corporation with over 700 stores and services along with more than 100,000 shoppers a day. It's still as beautiful as ever.

Her workplace, heaven, _second home_.

Oh how she loved the mall.

She made a mental note to take herself shopping next week.

The young lady flowed with the customer traffic, swirling up, right, left and turn.

Sakura grinned when she saw the coffeehouse she was looking for, just mere inches away from the entrance of the one out of three food courts.

She sparkled when she pushed open the glass doors of Starbucks and entered, a giant wave of coffee beans and scones aroma filled her cute little button nostrils.

And there was no line up! So she skipped merrily to the man behind the counter.

"Hey Lee!"

A man about her age appeared out of thin air. A bowl-shaped haircut, shiny teeth that'll make Mr. Clean proud and the bushiest eyebrows Sakura has ever seen came with the package.

"Ah! Sakura-san! My beautiful lotus flower blooming in this serene evening of 6 o'clock! How may I serve you, my youthful young maiden?" And he bowed.

Either Sakura didn't notice Lee's over the top proclamations or she was just too use to it to care, or maybe she was too excited to get her coffee. Perhaps a little bit of each.

"The usual please."

"Yes! One Green Tea Frappuccino coming right up, my love!" And the man in green spandex and matching coloured Starbucks uniform rushed off with fire burning in his big, big orbs to get the order.

She waited patiently, taking out her Blackberry to text Naruto, who should be finishing his shift at Ichiraku in the food court right about—

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T LOVE ME?!"

A banshee with bright, crimson hair clashing with her red cocktail dress and 6-inch heels screeched, shattering glasses everywhere. It was ironic since she was wearing a pair of thick-framed glasses too but they were still intact.

"You—YOU!" She was throwing points at the man in front of her.

"I—I thought you _loved_ me. If you didn't…why did you date me in the first place?!" She spat vehemently.

Everybody in the shop gawked.

Sakura unconsciously dropped her cell back into her bag.

After a long moment of silent glaring and staring,

"We never dated Karin." A monotone voice drawled.

Sakura didn't wear her nightly contacts last night so she couldn't see the man clearly. Squinting was useless. But she concluded the banshee needed a psychiatrist while the man needed some Pepto Bismol to get that diarrhea out of his ass.

"_WHAT?!_" Everybody winced at the volume. Oh their poor, poor ears.

"W-We've been through _so much_ together! Are you saying all the things we did never happened? Those dates! Us holding hands, appearing together and those _sexual innuendos_…WHAT WERE THOSE ABOUT?!"

The audience perked up their ears, waiting, just waiting…

"That was all you, not me."

…for his answer.

"B-But, I…" She sniffed, choking back a sob.

"I love you…" She whispered brokenly, watching the man's face remain its aloof self.

"It was all for _you_. I love you _so much_." The red-haired banshee was bawling now, black mascara and smudged makeup streamed down her visage.

"I love you so much that it _hurts_…" She repeated, her face vulnerable and aching unlike a few seconds ago.

Sakura watched on mutely as did everyone else in the coffeehouse.

_This is like a bad soap opera, that's for sure._ Sakura thought amusingly.

The man looked away, "Annoying."

That one word hit the woman like a ton of bricks. Sakura saw the woman backed up a step as if she had been slapped in the face, _hard_. More teardrops descended.

Sakura didn't even bother to watch the rest. She paid for her coffee as soon as Lee handed the cup to her with the latter wondering what was going on with his dumbstruck customers.

Sakura was prepared to waltz out of there when an "WELL I'M _NOT_ GIVING UP ON YOU WITHOUT A _FIGHT_!" resounded by the seating area and a red blur stormed by and crashed into Sakura's arm…

Spilling the coffee everywhere, on Sakura's _white _boots, on Sakura's green leggings, on Sakura's favourite _white_ skirt, on Sakura's thin short-sleeved hoodie, and on her _prettiful_ Gucci bag she took months to save up for but she didn't care because on the floor was... her _coffee_!

"Watch where you're going!" The redhead stomped.

Sakura blinked at her empty cup.

"Look what you did to my dress!

Sakura was in total shock. _She…_

"You're going to pay for this!"

_She spilled…_

"Do you know how much this dress is worth?! You'll never be able to afford it in your life time!"

_She spilled my cappuccino!_

"Ugh! This sucks!"

_I've never even gotten the chance to smell it…_

"You're not getting away with this!"

_It was so young…_

She stifled a sob before her feelings went into rampage mode.

"You—" Sakura was ready to throw some _colourful_ words at the crazy red-haired psycho bitch except the said "crazy red-haired psycho bitch" was…

_Gone._

Sakura threw her eyes back down at her dying, _dying_ cappuccino, dripping along on the floor.

Sakura had never wanted to cry so badly until this moment.

**x**

**x**

"Err…um, Sakura-san! Here! Have another frappuccino, it's on the house!" Lee mended but blind rage filled her entire being, she was pissed. _Pissed. _Her coffee had nothing to do with this at all! So why…? _Why_ did it have to end this way?

"It's _not_ fair." She complained childishly.

She huffed, arms crossed, ignoring the stickiness the caffeine created on her outfit.

After the fight was over, everybody in the coffeehouse reverted back to what they were doing before.

Nobody even cared about her frappuccino who lost its life in battle!

Through her peripheral vision, she saw the man the banshee was arguing with walked by her swiftly.

"Hey _you_!"

The man halted, not even taking the decency to turn around.

"You…" She pointed a well-manicured finger back and forth at the mess even though she knew he couldn't see it. "…should do something about this! A perfectly good coffee died here today because of you and your girlfriend."

"Hn." He continued his graceful strides toward the door.

That ticked her off.

It was only then that she took a good look at him—well, his retreating back anyway.

It was odd.

His hand was on the glass door, revealing the mall's skylight.

It felt weird because something…_familiar_—there was something familiar about him but she couldn't pinpoint on it.

Orange, pink, purple, blue colours dabbed the sleeping sky like a blending mural, reflecting against the shop's glass.

She racked through her brain for something…

The light bounced off the marble floors creating glittering reflections.

…_Anything_.

It danced off his spiky raven hair, creating a tinge of blue and black all the while making his supposed light skin paler.

An image.

_Who...?_

A blurry image.

_is...?_

Her head hurt.

A lot.

_he...?_

And a lot.

_"Annoying."_

A hallow echo.

_"Hn..."_

That was when recognition dawned on her features.

_He…_

Her throat felt clogged up.

_He's…_

She remembered now.

Bustling pedestrians were swarming by, back and forth across the glass door and windows. Soon, he'll become one of them. It felt like watching a store display getting torn down because of the transitioning season when she window-shopped.

She was a deer caught in front of a car's headlights, her mouth like a fish out of water,

"Sa—"

Her stomach tingled with butterflies.

She cleared her throat.

Her lips twitched into a weak smile.

And eventually, one word fell from her lips.

"Sasuke."

**x**

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**Author's Note:**

I first started this chapter during Spring Break but then I got lazy and never really finished it…until now. It's funny because I almost forgot how to write in third person.

So it's going to be about THE MALL! If it wasn't obvious enough…

The beginning was inspired by The Year of Secret Assignments.

Pairings are as follows:  
There'll be no story if there was no SasuSaku, my dears.  
Definitely some ShikaInoTem brawl because that triangle makes me laugh.

& Review. (:

! _**K**_at.


	2. two

(**t**)(**w**)(**o**)

_I can **feel** __you all around me.  
**Thickening** the air I'm breathing,  
**Holding** onto what I'm feeling,_

Savoring this **heart** that's _healing_.

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_After all this time, the memory of _that_ day was still clearly imprinted on her mind._

_That one autumn day…was perhaps one of the most precious moments that she'll forever cherish in her heart. It would probably seem silly in another's perspective but to her…it was irreplaceable, because _that_ day was the day...  
_

_Where their eyes finally met._

_It was quite ironic because they've been classmates together for what? How many years? All the way from preschool, elementary school and middle school and now high school. They were always in the same class, both surrounded by the same environment, the same group of people, they've even shared a couple of friends or two but they've never, _ever_ spoken to each other._

_Not even _once_._

_To them, the other was just another person they happen to know due to constant proximity._

_When they saw each other, the person's name would eventually pop into mind but nothing more…they've never acknowledged each other and would just get on by._

_Perhaps fate wasn't ready for their interaction because even when everyone was assigned class duties or school projects, they were never ever paired together, or even sat __near each other when it was time for seating rearrangements.  
_

_But that day of their high school opening ceremony, fate finally relented and their visions aligned, like connecting the dots._

_The autumn breeze picked up._

_Warm coloured leaves of red, orange and yellow flew from nearby maple trees, creating a swishing drizzle of flat fragments. Each leaf waved before they fell soundlessly to the already piled ground._

_She always thought he was handsome, but she never knew he was _this_ gorgeous. The leaves swirled with the wind, around his blazer and tie uniformed self. Dark locks whipped against his face, giving her a view of one of the most beautiful sights she's ever seen._

_Her glowing viridian eyes and his smoldering charcoal orbs drowned into each other, leaving the former breathless before turning away blushing madly._

_She dared not look back._

Even after all these years, he still had the same effect on her.

Even when she looked absolutely ridiculous right now, all covered in brown coffee, looking like a complete fool as he fully turned around from the coffeehouse exit.

She felt the familiar burning heat as it flushed her cheeks. Sakura composed herself as much as possible, fighting down the rising fluster.

Those same smoldering dark orbs drowned her body whole, making her numb into place, leaving her in a trance. His silky, smooth tenor was barely audible.

"Sakura."

Before she knew it, a relieved smile made its way onto her lips.

"Sasuke-kun…"

**x**

**x**

Sakura couldn't help but mouth out the exact syllables of his name, even when she was sitting on the couch of their apartment and cramming pudding into her mouth.

She stuffed herself with a big spoon of French Crème Tapioca, savoring the sweetness on her lips.

"—And then Shika was like kissing her back, you wouldn't believe it Sakura! I actually saw some _tongue_. That stupid tramp…and then they started groping each other! I was so shoc—"

Oh she remembered now, she was "supposed" to be listening to Ino's jealous rant about how she walked in on Shikamaru and Temari at the elevator.

"—So _what_, he's just a damned sales clerk! At _Gap _too! GAP! Bringing her in there—god, I will never be able to take the elevators again—"

Sakura stretched out her numbing arms and legs before settling back onto the couch, into a more comfortable position.

On the other end sat Ino, who was painting her toenails with magenta nail polish.

"You'd think a genius like Shikamaru would pick a better make-out spot than the public elevators! Those things are made of glass! Didn't he know he would _eventually_ get caught? Of course he didn't because _I_ was the one who walked in but still—"

Sakura nodded absentmindedly.

The only thought that crossed her mind was that this was Ino's thirtieth time complaining.

"—Temari is such a _slut_. How can he choose her? I mean she works at _Aldo, _ALDO SAKURA! And sells those fugly shoes—"

"Aren't you just mad they hired her instead of you?"

"N—No! Of course not!" Ino ripped her attention from her toes to Sakura. "I don't need them _anyway_. As if the _beautiful moi_ can work in that crappy place, smelling and touching people's smelly, huge ass feet. Besides I don't want to work in a place with such obvious bad taste, they hired _her_ after all."

Sakura sighed, shaking her head before taking another bite out of her delicious pudding.

"We'll see the day… I _swear_ Aldo will be closing down all because of _her_." Ino muttered pessimistically and went back to painting her pinky toenail.

"And then we'll see who's laughing." The blonde beamed slyly before a maniacal cackle escaped her lips.

Sakura cringed at the cackle and looked away toward the television, questioning her best friend's sanity.

The television was currently airing a rerun of America's Next Top Model.

Bored, Sakura took the remote and changed the channel, randomly flipping it to an episode of Girlicious.

It was another rerun but Sakura left it because it was the infamous catfight episode where everybody was in the kitchen with Tiffany screaming at anything and everything. Sakura watched on amused, scraping the bottoms of the little container for more pudding.

"Sakura! Are you even listening to me?" She faced Ino and saw the latter waving the nailbrush threateningly at her.

Sakura instantly nodded.

Ino smiled, satisfied at Sakura's reaction and ranted on about random bitches.

Sakura tuned her out just as fast.

Before she knew it, memories of last night's meeting fleeted across her mind once more. She was again thrown into a dream world of reminiscence.

**x**

**x**

"So…how long have you been back?" Sakura asked placidly, sipping her new frappuccino brought by the man in front of her as compensation.

She stared at the said man sitting across from her, a wave of steam flying out of his full cup of black coffee.

She guessed it suited him. It's the colour of his heart after all.

He grunted before an uninterested mutter echoed from him, "Half a year."

"I—" She shook her head, rewording the answer. "We've missed you…"

Sasuke made no eye contact with her, same dark pools staring fruitlessly ahead at nothing.

She gulped, her throat feeling dry before she spoke again. "Why…" She cleared her throat. "Why didn't you contact any of us? We would've welcomed you back."

That was when he finally looked at her, not a glare or anything, just a plain full-on stare. She returned it, unnerved.

A few moments ticked by before he finally provided an answer.

"I had a few tasks to finish, unnecessary company would've just gotten in the way." And he closed his eyes, creating an invisible barrier between himself and the world.

Sakura couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"I see you're still the same cold bastard with the whole Texas state up his ass." She commented playfully, loosening up the tense atmosphere. A grin played on her face as she swallowed more of her coffee.

He didn't retort but she noticed his stance slackening.

"But I guess it couldn't be helped." Her eyelids lowered. "You were always like that…so uncaring and insensitive, not telling anyone anything." Sakura's tone went cold.

"It's not their business." Sasuke drawled, a melodic tingle that always seems to exist within his voice. He heard a rustle of her hoodie, giving a clue that she shrugged.

"Oh well…care to tell me about the psycho redhead just now?" She brought up, voice lightening up again.

His eye fluttered open, made no sound and simply looked away. If Sakura remembered correctly, it was a Sasuke habit. It was usually an indication that he won't be answering anytime soon.

She sighed, exasperated.

The two of them relished the silence, with the exception of the minimal chatter courtesy of the other customers, along with a peaceful melody playing as Starbuck's background music.

The pinknette took the liberty to analyze Sasuke. She hadn't seen him since graduation but there were no big changes on him. Just an older essence, an older aura and when she observed closely, his pretty signature chicken-butt hair was a few centimeters longer but that was it. His skin was the same old alabaster tone and he was probably more gorgeous than ever before. Sakura noted that he was dressed in Abercrombie & Fitch style clothing. She would be ashamed if she didn't know, seeing what her current job is.

_3 years has flew by huh?_

The young woman saw him get out his Motorola RAZR V3, it seem like he was checking for the time. She watched as his eyebrows scrunched together before stuffing his phone back into his pants' pocket.

"I have to go." And he stood up, pushing in his chair.

He threw one last glance her way, before he walked out of there and blended into the shoppers' traffic outside the shop.

She sat there for a whole minute before the gears in her brain realized what just happened. _Did he had to leave _that _fast?_

She didn't even get a chance to get his contact info!

She placed her empty cup back down, glaring at it regrettably.

_Typical_. She thought, bitterness forming at the back of her throat. She gazed at his cup, he had not even touched it yet. _What a waste._

The cup was still full, but the steam had long evaporated…

**x**

**x**

"Sakura?"

"…"

"Sakura!"

"…"

"Hello! Earth to Sakura!"

"…"

"SAKURA HARUNO! PAY ATTENTION OR YOU'RE OUT OF HERE!"

The pink-haired youth jumped in surprise, dropping the clothing she held, blinking rapidly before confused green eyes met her blonde manager, Tsunade.

Tsunade sighed, a concerned feature etched its way onto her professionally makeup-ed visage at her employee who was obviously spacing out. The blonde observed said employee as the pinknette rapidly picked up all the spilled clothing. "S-Sorry, Tsunade-sama."

"Are you feeling alright, Sakura? You're pretty out of it today…"

Sakura glanced back at Tsunade before focusing back on her task at hand. "I'm fine. I'm just… a little tired I guess." She shrugged and chuckled weakly as she folded the halter-top into a neat bundle.

"I apologize if I worried you Tsunade-sama but really, I'm okay." Sakura lips curved into a grin before continuing on to fold the next item.

Tsunade raised a perfectly trimmed eyebrow. "Whatever you say…" And the big-busted 50-year old strutted away.

Sakura raised up her head expectantly when click clacks of Ino's stilettos were heard.

Ino sneakily approached her, repetitively looking behind to see if Tsunade was there before completely facing the pinknette.

"Did Tsunade give you a hard time?"

"No…she just asked what was wrong and I gave her the thumbs up."

"Hmm…well, you _did_ look pretty dazed back there…" Ino provided, still looking around for signs of their manager.

Sakura pumped her fists, "I'm totally fine!" She laughed awkwardly.

Ino stared back dully, evident suspicion creeping through her orbs. "Hmm, is that right?" She rubbed her chin before leaning closer toward Sakura, eyes narrowed.

"Ah. Y—Yeah."

"Hmm…are you sure?"

"I'm f—fine Ino!"

The latter could only back away from the frowning blonde. This went on until a fitting room door slammed into Sakura's face, knocking her to the floor.

Ino's azure eyes widen as big as saucers before a suppressed laughter erupted through her mouth at Sakura's dead pose.

A girl with long, midnight blue hair emerged.

"Oh my g—goodness. W—What have I done…" Translucent eyes with a dash of lavender darted back and forth in panic. The girl's hands lifted to cup her mouth in shock.

Sakura staggered up, a palm grabbed onto Ino's offered hand while the other rubbed her now bruising forehead.

"Ugh…I _seriously_ think I just dropped a few IQ points."

"I—I'm sorry!" Sakura spotted a fragile looking girl bowing madly, repeatedly apologizing like a mantra.

"Oh…umm, it's oka—"

"Hinata! It's time to go!" The longhaired girl stopped, whipped her head in the entrance direction, as did the other two Hollister employees.

They spotted a Chinese girl with hair a deep shade of dark chocolate brown-black held up in two buns. She was holding shopping bags in one hand while waving frantically with the other.

"A—Ah, coming Tenten-san!" The girl in front of them instantly grabbed a bunch of outfits from the fitting room's hooks, dumped them into Sakura's arms and apologized. "S—Sorry…I—I have to go. I'm r—really sorry!" Then ran off.

"…"

"…"

"That was weird…"

Sakura gaped, dumbfounded.

Ino turned.

"…_Now_ will you tell me what's wrong?"

**x**

**x**

"You met Sasuke?"

She nodded.

"…and YOU DIDN'T TELL ME UNTIL _NOW_?!"

"Yep."

"For the love of—why didn't you?!"

"First, you were too busy jelling on Shikamaru and Temari so why bother? Second was the fact that I couldn't decipher if it was a dream or reality until this moment."

"Uh huh…" Ino's voice breathed in disbelief. "Anyways, give me more details Saku—"

"Ah, Yamanaka. I see you're having a nice discussion with Haruno here…"

The two girls stiffened as a large shadow loomed over them.

Ino gulped before oh-so-slowly cranked her neck around, a fake smile plastered into place. "A—Ahh. Tsunade-sama! Nice to see you here…a fine day isn't it? And my! You look lovely today! Not that you weren't lovely to begin with—"

Tsunade could only stare, eyes bored, barely listening to the younger blonde's babbling.

"Ahaha…Tsunade-sama, you _really_ need to give me advice on your beauty secrets one day…"

"_One_ day, Yamanaka. But that one day might not ever come if you don't get back to work right this instant."

"R—Right away mam!" And the younger blonde scurried off back to her section.

The pig-tailed manager then turned to face the sweating Sakura.

"I—I should get back to work…?"

"I highly recommend that."

Everybody returned to their jobs, gaining momentum as more customers waltzed in.

Ino was back in her area, trying to reorganize the clothing articles thrown array by the customers. "Ugh…this is _why_ I hate getting assigned the clearance area!"

"And you think being in charge of the fitting rooms are any better?" Sakura muttered beneath her breath.

_Honestly! People try on things just for the heck of it these days!_

She threw a nasty glance at the pile of clothes, readied to be folded, hanged and returned to its original section.

Sakura saw more customers lining up so she stopped folding and did the usual routine. She fixed her lime-green, v-neck Norwalk, pulled on her white tank top underneath, positioned her nametag, smoothed the wrinkles of her black denim jeans before approaching the first person in the lineup with an award-winning smile.

"Hi there, how many clothing articles do you have?"

"Eh? These are not the washrooms?"

Twitch.

_Did these _look_ like bathrooms…?_

"Oh no, I'm afraid it's not. These are the changing rooms Madam." She kept on her smile, faded by 0.0001 mm.

"Oh…but I can still go, right?"

Twitch. Twitch.

She _swore_ she saw Ino laughing at her silently.

**x**

**x**

_After she turned away from the famous pretty boy, she instantly ran toward the school, blending in with all the other anxious freshmen._

_Young Sakura never bothered to see his reaction because she felt her heart was about to bounce out of her chest any minute._

_It was inevitable. She never saw it coming…that high school would probably be one of the best years of her life._

_And the worst._

**x**

**x**

* * *

**Author's Note:**

That was my sad attempt at trying out new transition styles.

& Review? (:

**WARNING.**  
Chapter 415 Spoiler:  
I'm disappointed, really. I was so happy for a second there. But nooo, Sasuke just  
_had_ to play hero. Then again, how do you carry a pile of melted Karin goo?

! **_K_**at.

_EDITED:_ September 07, 2008. (A few changes here&there. Nothing major, hopefully. Sakura&Ino do not live in a penthouse but an apartment. The luxury of a penthouse didn't cross my mind until today. Thanks to Starry Melody who reminded me. :3)


End file.
